The Only Exception
by threesummerdays
Summary: "'I didn't think you liked to dance,' she whispers as he guides her around the floor. 'I think this could be considered the only exception,' he says, and her smile presses against his cheek." Probably not what you're expecting, but fluffy none the less...


**A/N: **Because I feel like we need some more H/R fluff. Song lyrics/inspiration belong Paramore.

* * *

Harry smiles as she leans into his cheek, her hand squeezing his gently.

"I didn't think you liked to dance," she whispers as he guides her around the floor.

"I think this could be considered the only exception," he says, and her smile presses against his cheek.

"What do you think of him?" she asks after a few moments of silence.

"He's a good man," he says carefully. He doesn't want to push her over the edge, not now. It's not the right time to say this, but she seems to want to talk.

"Do you like him?"

"Do you?" His words hang between them and he can see her rising blush.

"I _love_ him."

His heart breaks and, as though she can sense the change in his mood, she instantly pulls her hand from his and presses it against his cheek.

"Dad," she whispers, and he shakes his head.

"Don't," he murmurs. "I'm just… It's hard to watch your child grow up."

"Dad," she whispers again, then pauses. After a few more seconds, she speaks up again. "Thank you for coming. And…"

"Giving you away," he says, and she catches just a hint of a smile.

"That too."

They continue their dancing and, as the song ends, they pull apart. Catherine looks at him, and he can see the tears gathering in her eyes.

"Give me away to Fabian?" she says, blinking.

"Wasn't once enough?" His voice is soft and she swears she can hear the shattering of his heart, but she doesn't have time to answer before he's guiding her across to Fabian, handing her over and shaking his hand.

"Take good care of her, yes?"

Fabian nods seriously and wraps his arms around her. "I will, sir."

Harry nods and kisses Catherine's cheek, then moves toward the bar.

"It's got to be difficult," comes a gruff voice in his ear. Harry smiles, picks up his champagne, and turns to Lucas.

"It's not exactly easy," he admits, taking a sip.

"Lovely wedding, though," Lucas says, trying to keep his boss's spirit up.

"Jane did a good job organizing it," he says. Lucas takes his tone as a signal their conversation is over, so he starts to walk away.

"Lucas," Harry calls, and he turns. "Thank you for running security. I know it seems like overkill, but…"

"It's all right, Harry," Lucas says seriously. "She's your daughter. She's supposed to get special treatment." He tosses out a casual smile and moves subtly into the crowd. Harry smiles and turns back to the bar.

* * *

"He's fine," Lucas says as he secures a position by the door. Ruth looks at him, surprised.

"I didn't…"

"You didn't need to." He looks seriously at her. Ruth blushes gently and shakes her head.

"It's got to be difficult for him," she says quietly. "I mean, his only daughter, and her being the only family member he keeps in contact with. And he has to give her away."

"Fabian's a good man," Lucas says softly.

"How do you know?" He's slightly surprised by Ruth's combative response, but he chalks it up to her concern for Harry's child. Because he knows that to her Catherine is not Catherine, but Harry's daughter. He holds back a smile.

"I know because of how he looks at her. Like she's everything he needs in this world." He glances at Ruth. She's avoiding his gaze, instead focusing on the newlyweds as they spin around the dance floor.

"She looks so much like her father," he says when Ruth stays quiet. "Especially when she looks at Fabian."

Ruth's head jerks to face him and her eyes are narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Lucas shrugs. "The way she looks at Fabian is the same way Harry looks at you." Ruth sputters and Lucas cuts her off. "You can try to pretend as much as you want, Ruth, but we're intelligence officers. We all notice things. It's our job. You think we didn't notice you and Harry sneak off after the funeral? You think we didn't notice how hurt you both looked when you came back to the car? You think we didn't notice the tension that's been between you two since then? That we didn't notice how afraid he was when you were undercover? For God's sake, Ruth," he exclaims, earning the disapproving glare of one of the other guests. "You'd have to be completely deaf, dumb, and blind to miss that. You'd have to be _dead_ not to see how perfect you are for each other. And if one of you would just drop your damn pride, you might both be happy."

She's silent, shocked by his sudden passion for her relationship with their boss. She's still searching for the right words, so she stutters out, "It's not that simple."

"No, Ruth," Lucas bites out, and she can tell that, for the first time, he's genuinely angry with her. "It _is_ that simple. You love him. He loves you. You've both done things in your past that you're not proud of. Together you can sort through them. You can figure yourselves out. But you can't do that if you don't let him in."

"Did he put you up to this?" she asks coldly after a few minutes as she watches Catherine.

"God, no," Lucas says, and she can't help but smile at his open grin. "He'd probably kill me if he knew I was talking to you about this."

They stand in silence for several seconds before Ruth speaks again, her voice so quiet Lucas has to strain to hear her.

"I love him so much," she says. "It's… it's almost painful. But what if something happens to us? What if… God," she pauses again, shaking her head. "What if he's kidnapped again? What if they get me? It's just… I couldn't let him make those decisions."

"He has to make those decisions no matter who's involved, and you know it." Lucas knows that she's close enough to the edge that he doesn't have to push very hard. "I think he'd feel better about those decisions, though, if he knew that you understood the possibilities. And I think you'd both feel better if you had someone to go home with every night and wake up next to every morning."

She looks at him, completely shocked, and he shrugs again. "I'm being honest, Ruth."

They fall into silence again, and Lucas tries not to grin. He knows just where her mind is going, and his suspicions are confirmed by her heightened blush. He nods toward the dance floor.

"You could always go over to him and drag him out to dance," he offers lightly. She laughs.

"He doesn't even know I'm here," she says softly. "Catherine invited me separately after…"

And though she doesn't finish her thought, he knows what she's talking about. The awkward afternoon when Harry offered for her to be his "plus one" and she quickly, quietly, efficiently turned him down. She had gone home early for the first time, Lucas was certain, in years. Harry, meanwhile, had thrown around some files and moped in his office.

"She wanted me to come," Ruth continues, interrupting Lucas' thoughts. "I calmed Harry down for her before he met with Fabian." She laughs and Lucas can almost hear the angels laughing with her – it's such a rare sound, it's simply heavenly.

"She called afterwards and said Harry was actually very warm to him. I guess she thought it must be my influence alone, not the thought that his daughter was happy."

"I'd have to agree with Catherine's judgment," Lucas says, and Ruth looks down again. He glances over at her, smiling. "Just go dance with him."

She looks up at him and he can see the fear that's dancing in her eyes. He smiles gently and nudges her with his elbow. "Go on, then."

She smiles and has taken four steps forward when she grinds to a halt. Lucas is about to push her when she turns, suddenly pale, and says, "I don't think you can dance with two women at once."

* * *

"Nice reception," she says, and Harry smiles.

"Isn't it, though?" He feels rather than hears the breathy laugh his partner lets out.

"Nice ceremony, too," she adds, and he nods.

"Absolutely beautiful."

"Just like the bride."

He looks over her head at Catherine, dancing happily with Fabian, and nods again. "She's always beautiful."

"True," she sighs, and Harry can feel her head resting on his shoulder. It's a feeling he shouldn't enjoy, not when the Ruth situation hasn't been cleared up yet, but it's so comforting that he smiles despite himself and tightens his hold on her hand.

"It's been a long time since we've been like this," he murmurs, and he can feel her shudder appreciatively.

"Too long," she whispers, and for some inexplicable reason, he's tempted to lean in and kiss her. Something - and he knows exactly what it is though he won't admit it even to himself - holds him back.

"How's Robin?" he asks instead, focusing on the intricate curls of her hair.

"His usual charming self," she says. "He's off on a business trip. New York, I think."

"A spirit of Atlanticism, I see," he says, and she laughs.

"Something like that," she whispers. "All I know is that it leaves me all alone for a few weeks."

"I'm sure you'll manage."

She sighs and he feels her free hand wrap around his neck and play with his hair. "I'm sure I will too. That doesn't mean I won't get lonely."

She pauses for a moment, then says softly, "We've both changed a lot, haven't we?"

He nods and she presses her face into his neck. "It makes me wonder why we ever ended it."

He can almost taste the invitation in her voice, but he changes the subject.

"Catherine says they'll be going to Paris for the honeymoon."

She sighs and leans further into his neck. It's taking all his concentration not to give in to her temptations. "Sounds romantic, doesn't it?"

"Mmmm." He glances over at Catherine and realizes that the music has changed into some slower song that's apparently fairly well known. He meets his daughter's knowing gaze and as he listens, his eyes start to prickle with unshed tears.

_When I was younger I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind._

_He broke his own heart and I watched as he tried to reassemble it._

As his dance partner starts to say something, he notices Catherine looking toward the side of the room, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. He tries to turn to see what she's looking at, but he's pulled back by his name.

"Harry?" she says again, and he looks down to see her pulling away. "You seem a little distracted."

"I'm sorry, Jane," he murmurs, and turns to see what Catherine's looking at. His heart stops as he recognizes the figure trying to pull out of Lucas's grip, moving toward the door. He looks back at his daughter. Her eyes are wide and she's desperately motioning toward the figure.

"What are you doing?" Jane says, but Harry pulls his hand from hers and moves away from the dance floor.

"I'm sorry," he says again, "for everything." He ignores her sputters of indignation and moves toward his officer, pushing wedding guests out of his way as he picks up speed.

* * *

"It's pointless, Lucas," Ruth says, tugging her arm free from his hand. "He's reacquainted with his ex-wife and they look perfectly happy. Just let me go."

"It's not that simple, Ruth, and you know it," he growls and, if she had been looking at him, she would have noticed his eyes widening as his grip loosened.

She takes advantage of his distraction and moves away from him. She almost reaches the door when another hand grabs her. "Lucas, just let me…" she begins as she turns around. Her voice disappears as she comes face to face with Harry.

"I didn't know you were coming," he says softly. Lucas has somehow disappeared into the crowd, and Ruth is suddenly desperate for his company.

"Catherine invited me at the last minute. I ducked out of church before you saw me. I thought it might be uncomfortable if we saw each other at your daughter's wedding, especially since I'm not exactly her best friend or even yours… And it looks as though you've been becoming reacquainted with Jane, so obviously… Obviously I'm just making this more awkward, so I'll just…" And she realizes her babbling has gotten her into trouble again, but it's not the realization that stops her. It's his hand on her lips.

"What's the real reason you're here?" he says softly, and she speaks despite his fingers blocking her lips.

"It's ridiculous, Harry," she says, and he moves his hand to hear her better. "I shouldn't have turned you down and we both know it. I thought I was being so realistic, that I was keeping you at the right distance, but I love you and I've always loved you and I don't know what I'd do without you by my side for the rest of my life because I just can't imagine that happening. You leaving my side, that is, because…"

Before she can say anything more, Harry lowers his head to hers and kisses her so softly, so thoroughly, that she forgets every reason she thought she had for keeping him away from her. She forgets his timing, his sins, her sins, her pride, and lets him kiss her like she's dreamt of for so long. How long they stay like that, she wouldn't have been able to tell if not for the song. When he pulls back from her, she hears the five words that define Harry, _her_ Harry, and she can't help but repeat them back to him.

"You are the only exception."

He pulls her close, pressing his lips to her hair, murmuring his love to her. She thinks she can hear him saying something that sounds like, "About bloody time," but nothing can stop the grin that's spreading across her face. He pushes her away slightly, and she looks up at him, momentarily hurt until she notices the unshed tears in his eyes.

"And I'm on my way to believing," he says, and her heart swells as she pulls down his head to meet her lips once more.

_Oh, and I'm on my way to believing.

* * *

_

**A/N: **Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it! :)


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